Modernization of rail and road links was of basic importance for making Pakistan a regional hub of economic activities, said FPCCI Vice President and Chairman Punjab region SM Naseer and other leaders, including Nadeem Shami, talking to APP here on Sunday.

They said the government had started serious efforts for brining the railways out of crisis.

The efforts of the federal government under Railways Minister Saad Rafique had started yielding results and there was a need to further inject money in this sector, they said.

They said transportation of goods from Karachi to Lahore and Peshawar through railways was a win win situation for both the businessmen and Railways.

SM Naseer praised the efforts of the government to boost economy and said that an improvement of railways would have multiple positive impact on different sectors of economy. “Rehabilitation of railways and progress of economy are interlinked and inter-dependent as well “, said Nadeem Shami. When the railways will boost, economy would also boost and when economy will be developed, the railways would also get more income in terms of freight and fair, he explained. Shami suggested that a plan for increasing availability of locomotives, improving condition of tracks and providing the double track from Karachi to Lahore and on-ward should be among top priorities of the government.